"Escarpment!"

Natsuki kneeled down and slammed her palms into the ground, and in response, the ground thrust up an earthen wall up to roof height that separated us from the puppets. It looked just like the wall that has locked us in here in the first place. Had she copied the spell...?

Bang! Bang! Bang! The puppets banged on the wall, but it did not budge. No surprise. The stronger magic is, the more physical effects it brings about. Invisible magic is weak. Magic you can touch is strong. That's why a barrier that appears as an earthen wall isn't something you can break by swinging a weapon. This is Natsuki's power.

The puppets began speaking, and their words blurred together to the point that I couldn't make most of them out. But I could make out a few words—

"`REQUIRED(COUNT(5, MINUTE))`"

Five minutes. They'll break down the wall within five minutes.

I shuddered. "Natsuki, they said five minutes... that's not enough time..."

"No, it is." She gave me a reassuring smile. "See how that wall came up out of the ground? If I just cast that spell again right under our feet, then it'll carry us up to the roof. Then we can escape over the roof!"

"Whoa..." My jaw dropped. "I didn't think of that..."

"Watch my mana, okay?"

"Yeah!"

I held tight to her arm, but before she could start circulating her mana, our attention was drawn by a familiar voice from the rooftops.

"I sensed someone reedcasting, and of all people, it turns out to be you..."

We looked towards the rooftops, and saw a figure standing there. Because the sun was shining from behind it, it appeared as only a black shadow.

—No, that's not right. The sun is in the other direction. The reason that figure appears entirely black is because it's Professor Agnia.

Agnia jumped onto the wall Natsuki had put up, and effortlessly pushed it back into the ground as if she were crushing an anthill with her foot.

With Natsuki's barrier gone, Agnia stood between us and the three puppets, facing them.

"You three, what are you doing to these children— wait, what the fuck...?"

As Agnia pulled out a magic device from her coat, the puppet with a sword pointed its sword at her.

"Hey, I don't know who you are, but don't poke your head into our business. Shut up and leave, and we won't have to kill you, damned witch."

Agnia pointed the device at the puppets, and it beeped twice before droning continuously. "Oh-hoh... how strange. I didn't think I'd be seeing necromancy in this day and age. And..." she sighed loudly. "This is going to make a lot of paperwork for me."

"Hey! I told you to shut up and—"

"I probably don't have to say this, since you're not human anymore, but I'll say it just to be sure. By the authority of the Imperial Investigation Bureau, I hereby arrest you for the use of illegal magic, under the provisions of the Magic Safety Control Act."

A golden magic circle appeared in midair in front of Agnia's hand, and when it shone, the puppets fell lifelessly to the ground.

Agnia turned to us and stared us down. "Explain what happened here."

Natsuki paused for a few seconds, and then only said, "We entered the alleyways, and then they appeared..."

Only the most vague possible description. She didn't say anything about the priests, or about their plan to "capture" or "kill" us. If she's decided to lie by omission, then I won't say anything further.

"Is that so? Well, anyone can tell with a glance that your horns are valuable. Someone might have been targeting you for money. If they're crazy enough to use necromancy..." Agnia shrugged. "I have some thoughts on who it might be, but the fact that such people exist is confidential, so I can't say any further."

The fact that they exist is confidential? Then it must not be related to the Church, which is the conclusion that Natsuki and I came to. Is there actually someone else who might be targeting her...?

"Anyways..." Agnia sighed again. "Next time, just shout *Professor, help me!* really loudly, and I'll come help you, even if I can't hear you."

Natsuki narrowed her eyes, and spoke skeptically. "Should we consider that your willingness to protect a research subject, or to protect your students?"

"Both, obviously. Anyways, I have to go report this to the town authorities, so let's meet up at the practice field in about three hours. I don't know who put up that barrier blocking the exit, but as homework, try taking it down."

With a flick of Agnia's hand, the puppets lifted up and floated in midair, and Agnia walked out of the passageway with them following behind her.

Natsuki turned to the wall, and I turned to her. "Natsuki, you didn't tell her about the priests... do you not trust her?"

"Of course I don't trust her." From her coat, Natsuki pulled out the two business cards Agnia had given her. "Look at these. I don't know much about this Imperial Investigation Bureau, but I have heard about the Legorian Institute of something-something-magic. It's in the Capital, which is far, far north from here. Think about it, Yuki. Why would someone from the Capital come to this town?"

This town is between Wetzlar, the great metropolis of southern Legoria, and the hinterlands where Natsuki and I once lived. Those hinterlands are surrounded by mountains, so nobody has any reason to go there. Perhaps someone from Wetzlar would, wandering around its periphery, come here on a whim. But someone from the Capital has no reason to be here. Unless...

"She must be here investigating something. As work for the Imperial Investigation Bureau."

"That's right." Natsuki ran her fingertips against the barrier-wall. "And until I know what she's investigating, I won't trust her. What if she's also looking for this so-called Saint?"

I couldn't respond to that.

"We'll eventually— soon— be able to defeat bandits or puppets or the like, and probably those paladins or whatever too, but... I really don't think we can fight Agnia. We made a deal with her, and we shouldn't get much closer to her than that."

Personally, I want to trust Agnia. But it's not like I have a good reason to do so. I think... to put it simply, I would rather trust than doubt, and Natsuki would rather doubt than trust. But as you get closer to the city, you need to doubt people more. That's what I've heard.

"I understand."

"If you understand, then come here and hold my hand. I'll show you how to undo this barrier. Let's do it together, alright?"